2006 Hawaii earthquake - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The 2006 Hawaii earthquake was an offshore earthquake

Earthquake

An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...

occurring 21 kilometres (13 mi) southwest from Puakō

Puako, Hawai'i

Puako is a census-designated place in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 429 at the 2000 census. The epicenter of the 2006 Hawaii earthquake was some offshore of the village.-Geography:...

and 21 kilometres (13 mi) north of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Hawaii (island)

The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...

, just offshore of the Kona Airport, on Sunday October 15, 2006 at 7:07:49 AM local time (17:07:49 (UTC)). It measured 6.7 on the moment magnitude scale

Moment magnitude scale

The moment magnitude scale is used by seismologists to measure the size of earthquakes in terms of the energy released. The magnitude is based on the seismic moment of the earthquake, which is equal to the rigidity of the Earth multiplied by the average amount of slip on the fault and the size of...

, and was located at 19.820°N 156.027°W, at a depth of 29 km (18 mi). It produced several aftershock

Aftershock

An aftershock is a smaller earthquake that occurs after a previous large earthquake, in the same area of the main shock. If an aftershock is larger than the main shock, the aftershock is redesignated as the main shock and the original main shock is redesignated as a foreshock...

s, including one that measured a magnitude of 6.0 seven minutes after the main shock. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center

Pacific Tsunami Warning Center

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center is one of two tsunami warning centers that are operated by NOAA in the United States. Headquartered in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, the PTWC is part of an international tsunami warning system program and serves as the operational center for TWS of the Pacific issuing...

measured a four-inch (102 mm) tsunami

Tsunami

A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...

on the coast of the Big Island.

Modified Mercalli Intensity

Mercalli intensity scale

The Mercalli intensity scale is a seismic scale used for measuring the intensity of an earthquake. It measures the effects of an earthquake, and is distinct from the moment magnitude M_w usually reported for an earthquake , which is a measure of the energy released...

was measured at Force VII-VIII on the western side of the island of Hawaii, and Force VI on eastern Maui

Maui

The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...

. Force V shaking intensity was felt all the way to Oahu

Oahu

Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...

, where patches of moderate damage were reported.

The earthquake caused property damage, injuries, landslides, power outages, and airport delays and closures. Governor

Governor of Hawaii

The Governor of Hawaii is the chief executive of the state of Hawaii and its various agencies and departments, as provided in the Hawaii State Constitution Article V, Sections 1 through 6. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state...

Linda Lingle

Linda Lingle was the sixth Governor of Hawaii. Lingle holds a number of distinctions: first Republican elected governor of Hawaii since the departure of William F...

issued a disaster declaration for the entire state.

Damage

The most severe damage caused by the earthquake was focused on the north and western sides of the island of Hawaii. Damage was also quite heavy on the eastern side of Maui, and minor damage spread all the way out to western Oahu, 170 miles (273.6 km) away from the earthquake's epicenter. On the Big Island

Hawaii (island)

The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...

, many houses had large cracks and broken windows, and at least 61 buildings were destroyed and red-tagged

Red-tagged structure

A color-tagged structure is a structure in the United States which has been classified by a color to represent the severity of damage or the overall condition of the building. The exact definition for each color may be different at local levels....

by officials. Almost all houses in west Hawaii reported extensive internal damage but most avoided significant structural damage, the reason being that most of the buildings in the area around the epicenter of the earthquake have been built in the last few decades and are well constructed. Even so, over $200 million in damage occurred.

The largest and most luxurious hotels on the Island of Hawaii also happened to be clustered within ten miles (16 km) of the earthquake's epicenter along the Kohala coast. The 1965 Mauna Kea Beach Hotel

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel

The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel is a hotel property on the Kohala Coast of the island of Hawaii. It sits at Kaunaoa Bay‎. The American Institute of Architects awarded the hotel an Honor Award in 1967 citing its "restrained detailing and fine spacial sequences." In 2007, the hotel received honors...

had its entire south end collapse, and the hotel's top floor was considered "destroyed." The hotel closed December 1 after a month-long inspection revealed that the building was unsafe and in danger of collapse. After a $150 million renovation, the hotel reopened in December, 2008.
The Hapuna Prince Hotel was temporarily evacuated after the earthquake due to structural damage, broken glass and flooding caused by broken waterpipes.

Many roads and bridges collapsed or had deep cracks, and clean-up crews had to work for days to remove debris from the countless landslides. Many landmarks on the island were greatly affected. The Kalahikiola Congregational Church in Kohala

Kohala, Hawaii

was destroyed due to the collapse of the church's stone walls; the Hawi smoke stack, a relic of the old sugarcane trade, completely collapsed as well. The Hulihee Palace

Hulihee Palace

The Hulihee Palace is located in historic Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, on Alii Drive. The former vacation home of Hawaiian royalty, it was converted to a museum run by the Daughters of Hawaii, showcasing furniture and artifacts.-History:...

in Kailua Kona

Kailua-Kona, Hawai'i

Kailua is a census-designated place in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States, in the North Kona District of the Island of Hawaii. The population was 11,975 at the 2010 census. It is the center of commerce and of the tourist industry on West Hawaii...

suffered extensive structural damage. Another popular tourist area, Kealakekua Bay, home of the white monument to Captain James Cook, was swept over by massive landslides that caused the entire bay and its surrounding areas to momentarily disappear in a thick cloud of brown dust.

After the earthquake, the owners of the Kohala Ditch – the Surety Kohala Corporation – finished an evaluation of the damage to, and future safety of, the “Ditch”. They determined that they could not repair the ditch to allow the flumin' the ditch tours to continue safely; the tours have been discontinued. Over 150,000 people in the 10 years prior had enjoyed this 22 miles (35.4 km) kayaking tour down old irrigation ditches.

Blackouts

Power plants on Maui and the Big Island automatically shut off power to prevent damage, and generators tripped on Oahu, causing overloads in the electrical grid. The Oahu power outages lasted 14 hours in some locations; only half of Hawaiian Electric Company's (HECO) Oahu customers had power restored before 9 pm, while outages generally lasted to about 5 pm on Maui and Hawaii. Power was restored to all HECO circuits by 1:55 am; however, there were isolated blackouts due to local problems, such as blown fuses. Power in Laie and Kahuku was not restored until 3 am. In Honolulu and Kahe, HECO generators shut down, and other generators tried to compensate, resulting in uneven loads on Oahu's electrical network and causing the system to shut down to prevent damage.

Mauna Kea Observatory

During the earthquake and aftershocks, a number of the telescopes at the Mauna Kea Observatory

Mauna Kea Observatory

The Observatories at Mauna Kea, , are an independent collection of astronomical research facilities located on the summit of Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawai'i, USA. The facilities are located in a special land use zone known as the "Astronomy Precinct," which is located in the Mauna Kea...

sustained minor damage, primarily Keck

Keck telescopes

The W. M. Keck Observatory is a two-telescope astronomical observatory at an elevation of near the summit of Mauna Kea in Hawai'i. The primary mirrors of each of the two telescopes are in diameter, making them the second largest optical telescopes in the world, slightly behind the Gran Telescopio...

s 1 and 2, and the CFHT. The CFHT was operational and back online as of 19 October, however the Kecks were not restored to full operation until 28 February 2007.

Political reaction

Democratic and Republican representatives were angered by the length of the power failure, calling for an investigation into proposed legislation to speed up blackout recovery. Governor Linda Lingle and some Hawaii State Senators said that Carlito Caliboso, chairman of the Public Utilities Commission, had been asked to research the outage and decide whether to begin a formal investigation.

External links

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Damage

Blackouts

Mauna Kea Observatory

Political reaction

See also

External links